The Romanticism of Fireworks
by akaiiko
Summary: Because True Love is about the Big Things, the Small Things, and the Things That Make You Want To Crawl Under A Rock And Die. –Post Series; Zutara-


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.

**Claimer:** I own the little italicized part under the title. Just so everyone knows. XD

**Notes:** It's the 4th of July, one of my all-time favorite holidays. One day of the year were I get to play my music way too loud and dance around like an idiot and everyone just joins in. Viva la revolution, yes? It's awesome. Anyway, this story plays off of that and the fact that most everyone I know is under the impression that fireworks are romantic. Haha. I still hold that Zutara doesn't need fireworks, they make their own.

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**The Romanticism of Fireworks**

_and while the world explodes in color tell me stories about that summer_

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They are _mature_. They are not running around like idiots with their little sparklers and 'oooh'ing at every single magic trick. They are not playfully shoving each other into cute random passerby and bashfully giving hard earned stuffed platypus bears to delighted girls. They are most certainly _not_ dancing to very loud sungi horns and trying to sing along despite everyone (including the sungi hornist) being very far off key. No, no. They are young adults. They are heroes. And they are mature _spiritsdamnit_!

Or at least, that's what Zuko keeps telling himself as he bashfully gives Katara a hard earned koala otter (her favorite). She looks at him with delighted eyes and a smile that makes him melt into a pile of pathetic Zuko-goo. (It was a well known fact that despite the loud, sometimes palace destroying arguments the two could have, Zuko would do absolutely anything for Katara when she's smiling. Katara takes advantage of this fact often.)

"Thank you," she says, smile still shining brightly in the twilight.

"You're, um, welcome," he stutters. "It's a koala otter."

"My favorite."

"Yeah."

"How'd you know?"

Zuko flushes dull red. "You said you liked them once."

"I know. When you wanted to get something for…Mai." The smile slowly diminishes. Mai is still a tender subject with the Fire Lord. Not surprising, considering she had run off with Haru of all people, leaving only her engagement bracelet and a letter telling him that they were both finally free for love (whatever _that_ was supposed to mean).

He doesn't seem all that concerned. "And I got her the koala otter…"

"It had that lovely sable fur. And so squishy!"

"And she used it for…"

"Target practice," the two of them chorus. Katara laughs, remembering that particular incident. Zuko doesn't laugh, but his smile speaks volumes. They stand there in comfortable silence when her giggles finally quiet. The crowd ebbs and flows around them.

"You know…Mai never was a girl for small things," Katara says into the silence. Zuko whips his head around to stare at her. "I mean, she…she needed a lot of…I don't know. She needed big shows of love. Constant devotion."

"Statues in her honor and poetry comparing her to the pale-dawn-that-was-not-orange?" he guesses, thinking of Mai's brief extolling of Haru's courtship.

"Yes, that. For all of her sarcasm and her coldness…deep down she really wanted to be the princess in a fairy tale. And for a while you were it but the war changed you and…well, it's not your fault, Zuko."

"It wasn't the war," he admits.

"Then what was it?"

"I didn't…didn't want to be her prince anymore. It was selfish but I just couldn't do it anymore. It was too exhausting."

"Exhausting? Yes, I suppose it could be." She hugged the koala otter tightly, a contemplating look on her face.

"I just wanted a girl who would be okay with…with not being worshipped constantly. Someone who would be there and not need romantic picnics or…"

"Or kissing under fireworks?" she says sarcastically, referring to Aang who is chasing a squealing (really, _squealing_) Toph around the market yelling about romantic fireworks.

"No, that could stay."

"It'd better stay, young man," the old lady running the booth where he got the koala otter from says threateningly. "Fireworks and kissing go together like wings and pigs."

"Of course," Zuko says, stumbling over his words at the shock of being so told off.

"You keep him in line, dearie," she directs at Katara. "And the two of you go on, the fireworks are about to start."

Their hands entwine and they follow the old woman's advice, weaving through the crowd to reach the large plaza that offers the best view of the fireworks. "I think she thought we were together," Zuko yells over the chatter as Katara finishes dragging him to the fountain in the center of the plaza.

At that, Katara laughs and pushes herself up on tiptoes to give him a hug. His arms wrap snugly around her waist, crushing her against his chest. The koala otter dangles from one of her slim hands. Then all of a sudden somehow they are kissing, hard and hot and fierce. Above them, the first of the fireworks for the Comet Festival explode. Frantic cheers sweep over the crowd.

This is them and this is how the world begins.

She pulls back just slightly. "And what if we are?" she whispers.

The smile that crosses his lips is wicked. But then he's kissing her and she doesn't care.

This is the feel of the revolution.


End file.
